The effect of wheat germ-enriched enteral formula on clinical and anthropometric factors in mechanically ventilated patients admitted to the intensive care unit

Nutritional support is considered as an important therapeutic strategy among critically ill patients. To evaluate the effect of a wheat germ-enriched formula in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). This randomized controlled clinical trial study was conducted on 100 patients admitted to the ICU. Patients randomly received a wheat germ-enriched formula or a standard formula from the first day of admission until weaning from the ventilator. Then, the duration of mechanical ventilation, the length of ICU, hospital admission, body composition and mortality rate were compared between the two groups. Based on the results, wheat germ-enriched formula caused a significant reduction in the length of mechanical ventilation (29.80 ± 21.99 days vs. 36.48 ± 8.78 days, P